From Obsession to Redemption Ch. 04

Callie clicked on a lamp and checked her watch. Midnight and she was still wide awake. She'd been kept captive in her own basement for four days now and still had trouble believing it. Rolling over onto her back, she stared unseeing at the ceiling and thought back over the events of the last few days. Every morning Jack awakened her for exercise and a well-balanced breakfast, followed by writing assignments. Somehow she had come to enjoy the tasks, remembering how much the mental stretch of writing had meant to her in younger years. And satisfyingly, she found she was better at it now with the addition of life experience to her voice. The words on the page were derived more from reality and less from fantasy than anything she'd written in college.

The evenings had been spent discussing books, movies, philosophy, religion, or anything that happened to catch their interest in the local newspaper. More than once, she'd caught herself thinking that this was how she had always hoped her marriage would be - a couple sharing their thoughts and even more importantly, their time together. Granted, it took a man with a gun who locked her in her own house to achieve that goal, but still she found some crazy sense of contentment in her captivity. The hours had flown by each day and she was surprised at how well rested and energetic she felt upon waking.

She'd gotten so used to seeing Jack in his masks that it no longer startled her, although she had a growing curiosity to know his face. He was so kind to her and obviously interested in her well being, not to mention the compliments he paid her on her appearance, her writing, her wit. She was convinced now that Steve had nothing to do with her confinement; but was still stymied as to why Jack had chosen her unless he was truly a mentally disturbed stalker. He just did not seem at all psychotic, agitated, or even disagreeable. In all his interaction with her, he was nothing less than gentle and solicitous. Callie was no fool, she'd heard of Stockholm Syndrome before, but still she felt drawn in by his sincerity. It was only the memory of the gun he'd shown her that first night that kept her slightly on guard.

Funny that she could disappear from her regular routine and no one had noticed. She knew her kids would call on the weekend but also knew they wouldn't be startled if they got only the answering machine. She was sure that Jack already had a plan on how to handle it though if they did attempt to contact her. All in all, considering her meals were being provided without a single pot or dish to wash, she was starting to treat this whole thing like a vacation. Hell, maybe she should try to talk Jack into giving her a massage! She giggled at the idea and then shivered at the thought of his large confident hands sliding over her skin. This evening as they'd been talking, he'd reached across the table to push back a strand of dark hair that had fallen across her face. That slight soft touch of his fingertips had rendered her speechless for a moment. There was such tenderness in the gesture, and she was positive she wasn't imagining it. She finally drifted off to sleep, the cheek he'd touched cradled in the downy pillow.

In Toronto, another woman lay sleepless but for a far different reason. Kelly's vacation was turning out to be anything but. That afternoon she'd finally had some time alone to call the customer service number for Steve's Mastercard account. Punching in the numbers, the automated system's metallic voice had informed her that "your credit limit is two thousand dollars; your available credit is one thousand forty dollars."

Two thousand dollars! She was expecting ten times that amount. What the fuck was going on here? She'd done the research on Steve thoroughly before applying for the job. She knew the company was worth millions and he was the head of it, so it just didn't make sense. Taking a chance, she'd decided to call the head of the finance department back at the office, that sour old bitch should have an explanation.

"Miss Francis, this is Kelly in Toronto with Mr. O'Donnell. There seems to be a problem with his corporate credit card. I'm sure you can straighten it out though." She forced herself to put as much sweetness into her voice as possible.

"What seems to be the problem?" came back the crisp reply.

"Well, he wanted to take a group of prospective clients out to an expensive dinner show but his limit doesn't seem to be large enough to handle it. I don't think he has a personal card with him either."

"That's because Mr. O'Donnell has no personal card to my knowledge. His limit was preset at $2000 when his father-in-law gave him the job. Mr. Alexander structured the credit accounts himself and only Mrs. O'Donnell is authorized to make changes."

"Mrs. O'Donnell? What does she have to do with it?"

"Callie O'Donnell became the owner of the company upon Mr. Alexander's death. She chose not to take an active role in company management and leaves it to her husband. However, she is the CEO and her husband would need her approval for any changes beyond the scope of his authority. I'm surprised you didn't know that, Miss Gilbert." The condescension in her tone was unmistakable.

"Thank you, Miss Francis," she answered through gritted teeth before slamming down the phone. "Callie? His wife's name is Callie? No wonder he hired me; our names are close enough to cover a slip of the tongue easily enough. Geeeeze.'

She glanced over at Steve's sleeping form and grimaced. God, she couldn't wait to get out of here. It looked like she'd made a big mistake on this job and it was time to cut her losses and get out with whatever she could grab. As she plotted, the disgusting old crotch-hound snorted and rolled over to fling one arm out and grope her breast, pinching her nipple.

"Whassa matter, can't sleep?" he mumbled.

"Awww, I'm sorry, sugar, did I wake you?"

"Yeah, you did, so now you'll have to take care of this!" He flung back the covers, revealing an unimpressive hard-on.

"Oh, no, no, no," she thought. "Maybe I can just jack him off."

She rolled over next to him and began stroking his cock with a practiced hand. "How does that feel, baby?" she whispered seductively.

"Not nearly as good as your pussy, babe. Or even half as good as I bet your tight little ass would feel."

"Oh, baby, I know what you want. Just another day or two, and I'll be back in action." She kept up the steady stroking, stopping momentarily to lick her fingers and add some slickness.

"What the hell does being on your period have to do with me fucking you in the ass?" he grumbled.

"Sugar, it's just that I'm sure it would get me so hot, I'd want you to fuck my pussy too. Or maybe even use the vibrator on me 'cause you know I've never been double penetrated. I want to be ready for anything and give you the time of your life. You can wait another day or two for that, can't you?"

"Dammit, I've been waiting for months. At least let me play with it! Twist around so I can reach your ass."

God, maybe if she wore him out, she could snatch the cash and run tonight. She focused on devising an escape plan as she arranged herself upside down next to her boss and braced herself for the onslaught of his probing fingers. Thank God she'd thought to put a tampon in before bed just in case he checked.

SMACK! SMACK! Steve always took pleasure in heating up her ass cheeks, even more so tonight since she still wasn't allowing him to butt fuck her. The feeling of her squirming beside him as he spanked her always seemed to put a little more lead in his pencil. He licked his middle finger thoroughly, and then spread her ass cheeks with his other hand. Using the wet digit, he circled her wrinkled rosebud a few times before pressing against it. Slowly but inexorably, his finger gained entry. She was unbelievable hot and tight and the thought of burying his cock in that made him groan.

Kelly began putting more effort into jerking him off. The quicker she could make him come, the sooner he'd leave her ass alone. She decided she'd have to start sucking him off to speed up the process, but that just gave Steve another idea.

"Yeah, baby, crawl on up here on top of me and put that gorgeous tail in my face."

"Oh for chrissakes," she thought, but figured since it was her last night with the dickhead, what the hell.

With her knees straddling his head, she went to work on his cock with as much skill as she could muster. As she sucked and licked and moaned, Steve worked equally hard at getting two fingers up her backdoor. Funny, it didn't seem quite as difficult as he'd expected, although she did whimper as if in pain.

Finally, desperate to bring the episode to an end, Kelly lifted her head from his cock and whispered huskily, "Oh baby I can't wait to get this big cock in my ass. I'm just afraid you're going to hurt me, it's so big and so hard!"

She got her mouth back on the head just in time as the mental image she'd just given Steve of taking her anal cherry had been enough to push him over the edge. He came with a blast, almost choking her. She gagged for a moment, but recovered quickly. She thanked God silently when Steve finally withdrew his fingers from her ass so she could scramble off the bed and away from the jerk.

"You stay right there and I'll get a towel to clean you up, sugar," she promised.

"How 'bout a little drink of water too," he mumbled.

"Jesus, he's almost asleep again already, the old fart," she thought as she padded into the bathroom. "Asleep...oh fuck, why didn't I think of that before!" Rummaging through her cosmetic bag, she found them - her sleeping pills. Carefully dissolving three into a tumbler of water, she went back to the bed, a genuine smile on her face.

"This water tastes funny," he slurred as she wiped off his fingers and then his cock.

"That's cause we're in Canada, silly." she answered inanely. It didn't matter, he was fast going down to dreamland.

By 4 a.m. she had his credit card and all his extra cash safely stashed in her purse. She couldn't do as much with it as planned, but it was better than nothing. She settled down for a little sleep herself. Once he left for the seminar in the morning, she could call her partner and then it would be on to Vegas, baby.

Late Friday afternoon was fearfully hot outside and Klaus was happy that Callie's home had central air conditioning. He was preparing a very special dinner but also keeping an eye on her activity on the monitor. Often, he had to force himself to stop watching her.

"She's blooming like a flower," he thought. "And it's because of me."

He laughed a little self-consciously at his own ego. To him, though, she grew more beautiful with each passing day. The exercise and nutrition surely had done her good, but he liked to think that it was the mental stimulation and personal attention that had added the sparkle in her lovely dark eyes. And there she was, typing away on the laptop, her graceful fingers flying over the keys. Whatever she was working on, she'd asked him not to read it until it was finished. Happy to comply with her wishes, he was still anxious to read it and hoped it wouldn't take much longer to complete.

Putting the shrimp on to boil, his attention was caught by a movement on the screen. Aha! She must have finished the piece, she was sitting back on the sofa and smiling at the screen, arms outstretched over her head. He couldn't help but notice the way her breasts strained against the soft cottony shirt she was wearing. He ached to put his hands on her, to kiss her, and although he felt they were growing closer, he knew it still wasn't quite time yet.

Once their food was ready, he prepared a beautiful tray; he wanted everything to be elegant and impressive. He remembered Callie telling him years ago that Friday night was always date night for her parents and how romantic they had always been. Tonight he would pretend it was his first real date with Callie. He knew it was silly, but still the thought made him inexplicably happy.

As he descended the kitchen stairs, he thought he heard a faint rumble off in the distance. "Hmmm,' he thought, "maybe we're in for a storm."

Grabbing her suitcase, Kelly took a quick look around the room. Had she forgotten anything? She needed to buy more time somehow or Steve would know she was gone in only an hour or two when he returned from the seminar's closing dinner. She'd left a few items of clothing scattered on the furniture but what else could she do to convince him she would be back shortly?

"Oh yessss," she laughed, "I know what will keep him cooling his heels here for awhile."

Taking a sheet of stationery from the room's excuse for a desk, she scrawled a quick note.

"Steve darling. The good fairy has finally left, hooray! So I'm off to the drugstore to pick up a few items to make tonight the night of your dreams. I'll need to be squeaky clean inside for you and maybe some extra lube would be a good idea. Get naked, have a drink, and wait for me! Love, Kelly."

She placed the note carefully on his pillow, and then still smiling smugly, headed out for the elevator.

Callie smiled radiantly at Jack, "Damn but I love shrimp! However did you guess? And everything looks so lovely. It's like a special occasion."

And indeed it was lovely. Jack had used her best china, something she rarely did, and the crystal goblets were gleaming. She raised hers and Jack refilled it immediately with the champagne that was making her slightly giddy. Not drunk at all, mind you, but just a bit tipsy.

Jack smiled back at her and once again, she was struck by what a charming smile it was. If only she could see the rest of the face behind the Batman mask. All she knew for sure was his intensely blue eyes and that dazzling smile. Maybe that was enough.

The couple continued their dinner, chatting about wonderful meals they'd each had in the past. From what he said, Callie discerned that he had traveled quite extensively. He mentioned restaurants that she knew were in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. But just when she was sure he was a true food snob, he confessed that he was addicted to Taco Bell!

"Thank God, you're not perfect. I was starting to worry!" she laughed.

He laughed with her, so pleased that she seemed comfortable with him, especially under the circumstances. Things seemed to be falling into place nicely, but he was still cautious. It could be all a ploy on her part to lull him into complacency before making a mad dash up the stairs. He sincerely wished he could let down his guard completely, he wished he could tell her who he was, but not yet, not yet. Maybe next week, if things were still progressing; he felt sure he would recognize the right moment when it came.

"So, my dear Callie, is your work of literature ready for my enjoyment now?"

Suddenly her easy manner evaporated and she felt her stomach roll over. She nodded and took another sip, no, gulp of champagne and handed the laptop over to him. How would he take this most revealing story?

She watched as the soft smile faded from Jack's face as he read. At first, he looked surprised, then thoughtful, and by the end of the story, his expression was indecipherable. "Oh my God," she thought, "I've gone too far."

He sat back in his chair, his gaze still fixed upon the screen. The only way he'd been able to control himself while reading the story was to put on his best poker face. Callie had written, in great detail, about losing her virginity the night she graduated from high school. Her simple story was filled with bittersweet emotion, longing, and even lust. If only he could have been the boy in the story. He wished he had known her as a girl, he wished he had always known her. After her wedding, he had erected an emotional dam, allowing just a bit of affection to escape here and there. It had prevented him from ever having a successful long term relationship, although he had tried. Every time, the woman would run into his defensive wall and eventually give up. But reading her story had triggered a response in him that not even he had expected. The yearning he'd always felt for her had welled up into an overwhelming flood.

Leaning towards him, she whispered softly, "Jack? Did I offend you? Or is it that bad?"

Wordlessly he reached out to take her hand and she did not pull away. Their eyes locked for a long moment. A tremendous thunderclap suddenly resonated through the silence and rattled every window in the room. The lights went out.